Brother and sister jailed after conning way into homes of OAPs to steal

Sheriff shows disgust after series of elderly women targeted

A brother and sister have been jailed after they admitted conning their way into the homes of a series of women in their 90s to steal cash.

Evelyn and John McPhee admitted targeting four victims – one aged 98, another a blind woman aged 93, and others aged 77 and 96 – at addresses in Dundee.

In the theft at the blind pensioner’s house Evelyn McPhee pretended her car had broken down outside and that she needed to use a phone.

As her house was being raided, the shaking victim told 32-year-old Evelyn McPhee: “I think I’m getting things stolen.”

The crook made off with £60 from her victim’s purse.

John McPhee, 34, carried out similar cons on the other three women, pretending to be a workman or inquiring about furniture sitting outside to get over the threshold. A sheriff jailed him for 32 months and his sister for seven months and told them their crimes were “of the worst order of dishonesty”.

Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court John McPhee went to a 77-year-old woman’s door at 9.15pm on May 1 and asked to talk to her about an armchair sitting in the garden of her Caird Terrace home.

He then asked for a glass of water before stealing the woman’s purse, containing bank cards and £15 in cash.

Five days later Evelyn McPhee talked her way into the registered blind 93-yearold woman’s flat on Byron Street.

She went into the bathroom before emerging and asking the woman if she needed help hanging out her washing. The woman was seen shaking and told Evelyn McPhee “I think I’m getting things stolen” as the thief made off.

The following day John McPhee went to a flat at a sheltered housing complex on Glenesk Avenue and conned his way in, pretending to be a gardener.

He asked for a glass of water before telling his 98-year-old victim he would return later with his tools.

He took two of the woman’s purses, containing bank cards and £49 cash.

The next day, he went to a 96-year-old woman’s Tannadice Street home, claiming he was there to “check the walls” of the property. Despite being repeatedly asked to leave, he walked around the flat before asking for a glass of water. As the woman ran the tap he made off with £52 in cash.

John McPhee, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pled guilty to three thefts. He was on two separate bail orders at the time.

His sister, a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh, admitted one theft.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said: “These offences are offences of the worst order of dishonesty.

“You have targeted members of our society, preyed on them and taken advantage of their vulnerability.

“You both have bad records which include dishonesty and a custodial sentence is inevitable.

“These will reflect the disgust of the citizens of Dundee and hopefully discourage others from committing such crimes.”

You have targeted members of our society, preyed on them